Products are typically shipped to retailers in bulk by enclosing multiple individual product units in a container such as a carton or box. For example, pharmaceuticals may be shipped to a retailer in a container housing multiple carton units, with each carton unit housing multiple units of pharmaceuticals (e.g., in blister-type packages). Then, a stock clerk typically removes the carton units from the container and stacks them on a display unit, such as a shelf, thereby making the products available to consumers.
The process of removing products from shipping containers and stacking the products on a shelf can be quite time consuming. Specifically, the traditional package-ship-unpack-display model requires a stock clerk to obtain a package from the supplier, open the package, remove all of the product units from the open package, and stack each of the product units on a display, such as a shelf. In the case of small, high volume products, such as pharmaceuticals, the amount of time required to neatly stock a display can become extensive, thereby significantly increasing a retailer's overall operating expenses.
As an alternative to the traditional package-ship-unpack-display model, products are being packaged in containers that also function as product dispensers. For example, packaging containers have been developed that include tear-away seals that, when removed, provide an opening into the container. Therefore, a store clerk is simply required to remove the tear-away seal to form the opening and then place the open container on the display. Consumers may then retrieve products from the container through the opening.
Unfortunately, as products are removed from the container/dispenser, products positioned a distance away from the opening in the container/dispenser may become difficult to retrieve. The difficulty may be particularly significant when the opening in the container/dispenser is relatively small and/or when the container/dispenser is relatively large or elongated.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of product packaging and dispensing.